This invention relates to an apparatus for storing used products such as fluorescent lights, thermometers, mercury vapor lamps and batteries which contain injurious substances, particularly mercury (Hg) compound.
It is generally known that a kind of glassware such as a fluorescent light, thermometer or mercury vapor lamp, contains a small amount of mercury compound, so that if someone inhales mercury vapor on the occasion of destruction of the glassware in his health will be adversely affected. However, since no equipment or facilities are available for treating such used products, mercury compound is incessantly diffused into the air from open-air dump yards and landfills. In particular, on the occasion of a strong wind, a great amount of fine glass particles and floating mercury compound are emitted into the air and accumulate in human bodies through their respiratory organs.
Furthermore, it can be appreciated that destroying such glassware for reducing its volume is considerably dangerous, so that it often hurts a worker or even a passerby. In addition, storing used glassware in a factory or office causes great inconvenience and anxiety.
As another problem of mercury compound, we have to pay attention to the enormous consumption of batteries such as dry cells and mercury batteries. Used batteries are generally deposited in dust boxes without being destroyed and then transferred to a landfill. Since batteries contain a small amount of injurious substances such as mercury compound, if such great consumption continues indefinitely, a great amount of mercury will eventually flow out and do harm to human bodies. Accordingly, it is necessary to collect used batteries separately from other wasted articles. However, it has been considered difficult to collect and store a number of used batteries from a technical point of view, because there are problems of heat caused by remaining electricity and diffusion of rusted metals.